Bothersome
by Umaro
Summary: Sometimes finding the perfect person is a lot easier than you think. Shikamaru, Ino and everything in between.
1. Bothersome

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, sadly. All characters belong to the lovely creators of this fine show. **** Prologue: Bothersome  
  
It was a warm breeze that finally woke Shikamaru from his rest, he was only partly surprised to realize that he'd fallen asleep outside. The sun was still low in the sky, meaning it was still before lunch, so he did nothing. They had just finished a long mission, and Asuma-sensei had given the Team the weekend off. Shikamaru figured it was also timed this way because it was to be both his and Ino's birthdays. He frowned; birthdays were such a pain in the ass. He'd long ago made sure his parents didn't make a big deal about his birthday, preferring a nice quiet afternoon playing shogi to a noisy family gathering. This year would be no different, he planned to have breakfast with his parents, go meet up with Choji to catch a movie and some lunch, then stopping by to visit his sensei to spend the afternoon playing a couple matches of go. It would be an idyllic afternoon, away from the distractions of –  
  
"Oi, Shikamaru! Did you sleep out here?"  
  
Shikamaru sighed as Ino's voice rang out clear as a bell. As clear as an annoying lead bell, at that. Ino no doubt already had planned a block party for her own birthday, which was annoyingly close to his. The day after his, in fact.  
  
"It was a nice warm night, why would I want to stay inside a stuffy house. Besides, what are you doing out here? This is usually a quiet spot."  
  
Ino grumbled, "You're in quite a mood this morning. Aren't you the least bit excited about tomorrow?!"  
  
Shikamaru was caught off-guard. She was grinning like a fool... And since when did Ino give a crap about his birthday? She had to know it was the day before hers, but every year she never said anything. Choji was his only friend who really cared about it, and sometimes he had to wonder if it was just because of the cake his mother always made. Nonetheless, Shikamaru had to smile; her excitement and goofy grin were infectious. Maybe she'd want to go out with him and Choji in the afternoon after all, or maybe they could go do something later that night...  
  
"Well, I guess a little." Shikamaru smiled, maybe this year wouldn't be so bad... Ino grinned, "I knew you would! Well, the party is going to start a little after noon, so make sure you're on time for once!"  
  
The blood froze in Shikamaru's veins. A party...?  
  
"Of course, I mean, we have the whole weekend off so I figured why wait till Sunday for my party!"  
  
Shikamaru could feel his jaw drop, but recovered quickly. He felt angry for thinking that for even a moment Ino was thinking about him...  
  
Ino gave him a quizzical look, "Something wrong?"  
  
Shikamaru frowned, "Nope, sorry but I'm busy tomorrow. Have a nice time at your party though."  
  
He thrust his hands in his pockets and turned to go. He could tell he'd just made her mad, but she wasn't saying anything. That was odd, he thought, usually she has a comeback for everything. He turned around, surprised to see that Ino looked a little red and crestfallen.  
  
"C'mon, it'll be fun. I know it's not really your thing to be social, but we're teammates! I don't want to be the only one there without a team. It'd mean a lot to me." Ino gave him a hopeful smile.  
  
Shikamaru sighed. He didn't really care about his birthday and she did look pretty upset. He knew he was just falling for another one of her traps, but was really past caring at this point. Maybe he could stop by later after playing a few matches with Asuma-sensei. Chances are their teacher would be invited as well, so they could walk over together afterwards.  
  
Shikamaru shook his head, "How troublesome..." Ino smiled again, recognizing her victory.  
  
"Fine, I'll be there around 6ish."  
  
****  
  
Leaving Ino by her parents' shop, Shikamaru went to go find some late breakfast. His parents had most likely eaten without him, so it was going to have to be something in town. Shikamaru made his way to the ramen stand, and ordered a plain miso ramen. After a quiet meal, he headed over towards Choji's house. He wondered if Ino had already gotten to him too, Shikamaru knew how easy it was to bribe the guy. He was probably putty in Ino's manipulative hands...  
  
Choji was sitting out front three discarded bags of chips by his feet, a fourth in his hands, and no doubt several full bags stuffed the backpack he was wearing.  
  
"Hey, Shikamaru!" Choji motioned to the chair next to him, "What are you doing up and about? I figured you'd be off staring into space somewhere, it is your kind of day."  
  
Shikamaru looked up at the sky; it was a relatively clear day, with a couple lazy clouds slowly drifting to the east. He took a deep breath, taking in the whole sky for a moment. Choji was right, it was a beautiful day. He sat down next to his friend and the two sat in (relative) silence. Choji spoke first,  
  
"You see Ino today? She's rabid about that party..."  
  
Shikamaru sighed, "Yah, what a pain. I'll probably show up later, after the movie or something."  
  
Choji paused, "Movie..."  
  
"Yah, weren't we going to go tomorrow afternoon? I thought -"  
  
Choji crammed chips nervously into his mouth, "Yeah.... I kind of forgot about that. I kind of... told Ino I'd come early to help set up too..."  
  
Shikamaru frowned; Ino must've bribed him pretty well for him to actually help out.  
  
"Never mind, we'll go some other time." Shikamaru was annoyed, damn that Ino's birthday. Why couldn't it be six months away? He stood up to go, there were better things he could be doing now, like nothing.  
  
Choji jumped up, "I, I'm sorry, if you want we could go -"  
  
"Nah, never mind, I'll see you tomorrow at the party." Shikamaru stalked off, fists and teeth clenched.  
  
****  
  
Asuma answered the door, not really expecting company today. He was surprised to see Shikamaru at his door, especially considering the weather and relative length of the walk involved.  
  
"What are you doing here, Shikamaru?"  
  
The young man sighed, and asked point blank.  
  
"What are you doing tomorrow?"  
  
Asuma was taken aback by the question, and paused for a moment.  
  
"Oh yah, isn't Ino's party tomorrow? She mentioned something about it this morning... I hear her family's making a really big deal of it this year. What about it?"  
  
Shikamaru shook his head, "Nothing, I'll see you there."  
  
Without another word he walked off, leaving Asuma very confused. Had Ino forgotten to invite him or something? Oh well, he thought to himself, I'm sure it'll all turn out alright in the end.  
  
****  
  
"Damn that Ino," Shikamaru said to no one in particular, "You'd think at least one of them would have remembered... I mean, it's not like it's a big deal or whatever, but you'd think they'd have the decency. What a pain in the ass this all is..."  
  
He couldn't help but feel a little hurt, even though he hated to make a big deal out of things, it was bothersome to have his small plans taken over by Ino's inflated ego. Especially after she had played the "Be a good teammate" card on him as well, it isn't fair the way she gets away with things all the time.  
  
"I should say something to her..." He thought to himself, "She won't listen though."  
  
Shikamaru sat back in his bed and closed his eyes. The day had gone by, and in a few short hours he'd be another year older.  
  
"How troublesome..."  
  
****  
  
The same as last year, and the year before, Shikamaru's parents woke him up early, and wished him a happy birthday. He grumped his way through the stupid song, the stupid breakfast in bed, and the stupid photos for the grandparents, uncles, cousins, etc. etc. etc. Around noontime he made his way outside, and began walking towards Choji's.  
  
Halfway there he remembered, and stopped.  
  
Guess there's nothing else to do... He looked up at the clouds, another peaceful day. "Screw this," He said to himself, "I'll go find something to do by myself."  
  
He walked aimlessly for a few minutes, and had a thought.  
  
"I guess it's better than nothing..."  
  
****  
  
"You did invite him, right Ino?" Asuma seemed a little confused.  
  
Ino growled, "Of course I did! It's not my fault he's a lazy bum."  
  
Ino's mom gave her a look, and she backed off, he had to be on his way at least... He probably got distracted by a big cloud or something, and got lost on his way. That would be just like him, making everyone worry, then showing up with that stupid lazy grin of his... There was a knock at the door, probably more guests arriving as her Dad hadn't sent the warning. Was anyone ever on time in this village?! Ino's mom gave her a patient smile, "I'll go get it."  
  
Ino was worried. Everything had been going perfectly, but it was starting to get late now and Shikamaru still hadn't shown up.  
  
"That jerk," She grumbled to Choji, "And after all the trouble I went to for him..."  
  
"I think he was actually a little upset about the whole thing Ino, maybe we should go try and find him." Choji looked around at the other guests, all of whom seemed to be getting restless.  
  
Ino nodded, "I'm going to go take a look, why don't you stay here and block the door so no one leaves."  
  
Choji snorted in contempt, but then nodded. Going to look for Shikamaru would take him away from the delicious food that had been set out; he had to guard that with his very life...  
  
Ino ran to the front of the house, and skidded to a stop. Shikamaru was standing in the doorway looking a little awkward with a bunch of flowers in his hands. Ino turned just in time to see her parents slipping off into the kitchen. Shikamaru cleared his throat, and she turned back to him, turning a light shade of red.  
  
"Happy Birthday. Sorry I'm a little late, I wanted to find something you'd like, and I couldn't exactly go to the local shop." He gave a little smile, "They're also a little better when they're picked fresh..."  
  
Ino was in shock, and didn't know how to respond. Why was he being so nice to her? She'd expected him to show up grumpy as usual, and had planned to surprise the hell out of him with the party in the backyard.  
  
Shikamaru shifted a bit, visibly uncomfortable by the silence.  
  
Ino smiled, "Thank you, Shikamaru." The flowers were beautiful, he'd even managed to find some of her favorites. "It must've taken hours to find all these!"  
  
He gave an overly dramatic sigh, "You have no idea..."  
  
Ino giggled, and grabbed his hand, leading him to the backyard, "Come here, I want to show you something!"  
  
End Prologue Authors note: Thanks for reading, as always! Edit: Based on comments, I've decided to use this as a prologue for the larger story, so thank you for all your kind reviews. Keep 'em coming!! 


	2. Someone Better

Chapter 1: Someone Better  
  
Shikamaru was in a quandary, his mind going a mile a minute. He had never expected Ino to do anything like that, throwing him a surprise party, and he worried that his getting flowers was rather useless. He shook his head, she probably hated them, she works in a flower shop after all... She could probably have just gotten them herself. Shikamaru sighed. He was stretched out on his roof watching the stars, as he was wont to do on warm nights like tonight. The stars weren't talking though, and he was making no progress with his problem. He needed to come up with a better gift for Ino tomorrow, on her proper birthday. The question was what....  
  
He folded his hands as he often did while playing shoji to help him focus his mind. There had to be something that she wanted more than anything else... Shikamaru reflected for a moment and sighed again. The only thing she seemed interested in was that damned egotistical Uchiha. He had no idea what she saw in him, he was a jerk to her most of the time, and ignored her the rest of time. "If I ever had a girl like her going after me..."  
  
"You'd what?"  
  
Shikamaru nearly screamed and had to brace himself to keep from losing his balance on the roof tiles. "Choji you bastard... Don't sneak up on me like that!"  
  
Choji snorted/laughed and plopped down next to his friend. "So...?"  
  
Shikamaru frowned, "So... what?"  
  
Choji narrowed his eyes, "If you had a girl like her going after you...."  
  
Shikamaru grimaced, "You're such a pain sometimes Choji... 'I'd never ignore her.' You happy now?"  
  
Choji grinned, "Not until you give me her name."  
  
"Fat chance."  
  
"Watch it."  
  
The two laughed, and Choji changed the subject.  
  
"Ino sure got, you didn't she... So much for the clever genius, eh? Well, Asuma and I helped a lot too so don't go giving her all the credit." Choji smiled, "It was her idea though..."  
  
Shikamaru straightened, uncomfortable all of a sudden. "What are you getting at?"  
  
Choji laughed, "Nothing at all... Just thought you'd be killing yourself trying to figure out how she got the better of you."  
  
"Do you know why she did it?"  
  
Choji looked confused for a moment. "Well, my guess would be because she's expecting something nice in return. Any plans?"  
  
Shikamaru frowned, "None, it's too much of a bother," He bluffed, "You have any ideas?"  
  
Choji laughed again, "You're the genius remember? I'm just the pretty face."  
  
The two laughed again and chatted idly for a while before Choji got hungry and decided to head home. Still left in an utter state of confusion Shikamaru decided to head back down so he could write down some ideas. Back in his room he decided to draw up a battle strategy, something he was always quite adept at.  
  
"Okay, here is Ino." Shikamaru placed a shogi piece on the paper and scribbled down her name. "What does Ino want more than anything?"  
  
He looked at the remaining shogi pieces. He picked up a King piece and sighed,  
  
"Uchiha."  
  
****  
  
"What are you doing out this late, Choji?" Ino had decided to go out for a little walk and was rather surprised to see Choji not eating.  
  
"Oh, Ino!" Choji grinned, "We were just talking about you!"  
  
"We?" Ino looked around.  
  
"Shikamaru and I, he's back home already."  
  
"Oh," Ino grinned, "Did we get him? Was he surprised?!"  
  
Choji nodded, "Never saw it coming, poor lazy fool."  
  
Ino thrust her arm into the air, "Victory!"  
  
Choji shook his head, "You're hopeless..."  
  
Ino laughed, "It was awfully nice of him to get the flowers... He didn't have to do that."  
  
"Well, you know him. He'd do anything for you..." Choji immediately regretted his slip.  
  
"What do you mean by that?"  
  
"Uh, nothing. You know, he always listens when you boss him around... That's all..." Choji was sweating, Shikamaru would kill him!  
  
"I guess..." Ino frowned, she'd never really thought of it like that. She always saw herself as the most responsible one, keeping her incredibly lazy team on task. What if there were more to it than that though... What if...  
  
Choji was terrified, she was thinking. He had to escape, "Well I'm off to home now, I guess I'll see you at your party tomorrow!"  
  
Ino nodded absently, deep in thought, "Yah, I'll see you later Choji..." Choji quickly turned to run (as fast as he could anyways) but Ino spoke up at the last second. "Hey Choji."  
  
Choji froze in his tracks, it was over!  
  
"Does Shikamaru, well, does he like anyone? I mean, you're his friend right? Has he said anything to you about someone?"  
  
Choji could feel his stomach tighten. He couldn't decide what to say. Should he lie, or use this as a chance to help his friend out. He thought for a moment, he had to be careful in his answer... He turned to face Ino, and nearly had a heart attack when he realized that she had walked right up to him to hear his answer.  
  
"He, uh, he's never really said much, but you know, he never talks about that kind of thing... He's kinda quiet... And lazy..."  
  
Ino's face seemed to darken slightly for a moment, just a moment, before jumping back into a half-hearted grin. "Yah, a lazy moron like him would never go after a girl. He'd just sigh and moan about it being too troublesome to put in the effort. Thanks Choji."  
  
Ino started off, "See you tomorrow!"  
  
Choji watched her walk away, a little less boisterously than before. He frowned, this situation would only end in his death, and he knew it, but it needed to be done. "He told me it took him at least four hours to get all the flowers together." She paused and seemed to chuckle to herself. "He said he was happy to do it though."  
  
Ino turned back and smiled, "Thanks Choji."  
  
****  
  
Sometime around three in the morning, Shikamaru decided. The best thing he could do for Ino was to help her get what she really wanted, and what she deserved. Even if it was that jerk. After all, he was a great fighter, he had a quick, intelligent mind... He was probably the best looking guy in the village... And it would make her happy.  
  
Shikamaru sighed, "That's the important thing. She should have someone who makes her happy."  
  
He looked at the top of the page, and poured over his plan of attack for a third time. He had only one day to get Sasuke to agree to a date with Ino, or to have him at least say more than two words to her. Shikamaru figured that if he actually paid any sort of attention to her he'd probably fall for her on his own. I mean, what wasn't there to like about her. She was beautiful, strong-willed, loyal, and a surprisingly sincere and kind person at heart... How long had he known her now? Seven, maybe eight years? Damn Uchiha, he thought to himself, it was too bad that guys like him who could have anyone they wanted usually were content with no one, and guys like me... If someone like Ino were interested in someone boring like me...  
  
Shikamaru shook his head to clear it, he must be getting tired. Realizing what time it was he sighed deeply, "How troublesome..."  
  
****  
  
Ino stared into the mirror, pictures posted around the edges. There were so many pictures of Sasuke taken in secret, mixed with others of her and her friends from a long time ago. There was Sakura and her at a sleepover, her personal favorite: one of Sasuke staring off into space, one of Asuma- sensei and her team, one of Shikamaru fast asleep under a tree... Her eyes paused on that one. She tried to remember when it was from, he looked a lot younger in that picture, not that he had really changed much. It must have been from when they were about eight or nine, when they used to spend more time together. Having fathers who were on the same team meant that they spent a lot of time together as children, particularly when their team was called on long missions. She remembered how she used to get so bored with him, because all he ever wanted to do was sleep or play dumb board games. As they got older she started hanging out with friends from school and less and less with Shikamaru. He didn't seem to notice really then, she wondered now if it affected him at all. He was never really vocal about his feelings, so she just assumed he didn't care.  
  
She frowned, "Why are guys so hard to figure out."  
  
First Shikamaru, then Sasuke. She glanced over to his picture. So perfect, but so aloof. She had never realized how rough a past he had until recently. To have his entire family killed off by his own brother; Ino shuddered to think about it. She couldn't really imagine what something like that would be like, to have to live with...  
  
"Is it that he's just not interested in me, or that he's not interested in anything?" She asked herself. Even if she could get his attention, would he even care?  
  
"Of course he is, I bet he's a nice guy, he's just got a lot of complicated things going on in his life. He's probably just slow to warm to people, and is a little shy..."  
  
How would she even react if Sasuke responded to her? She wanted to think that they had so much in common, that all it would take would be a single conversation to prove that they were destined to be together, but... Well, things like that don't really happen, do they? Her eyes flicked back to the sleeping Shikamaru. He was kind of cute back then, she thought to herself, in a weird sort of way. She looked at the picture of her team from after the genin exams. He's still kind of cute, she thought to herself, for a lazy bum.  
  
End Chapter 1  
  
Authors note: Hello again! So, based on all your great feedback I decided to use Bothersome as the springboard for this particular storyline. I'm trying my best to keep everyone in character, and keep things close to within the storyline. Phew! In any case, please review, I do take each one to heart, and it was all these reviews in the first place that convinced me to keep going. If you like things, don't like things, or want to see more of things let me know! Thanks everyone! Next chapter will be up in a week or two! 


	3. Pictures and Memories

Chapter 2: Pictures and memories  
  
Ino woke to the sun shining, and a cool breeze drifting in through the window. It looked like it was going to be another perfect day today. Stretching and yawning, she fought to shake the last bit of weariness from her mind. She had stayed up far later than she had intended last night, thinking about everything that happened yesterday. For some reason, she couldn't help but feel like she was missing something, but what?  
  
"Ino, pumpkin? Time to wake up!"  
  
Ino frowned, was she still eight years old to her father?  
  
"I'll be down in a minute, Dad."  
  
Ino plopped down in front of her mirror again, staring at the pictures. She stared at the picture again, the subject completely oblivious that it had been taken. Carefully she plucked it from its hiding place along the bottom edge of the frame and held it closer. She should say something to him today, if he bothered to come in the first place.  
  
"You'd better show... For all the effort I put into you."  
  
****  
  
The plan is risky, Shikamaru thought to himself. For the eighth time this morning he had tried to convince himself that the whole thing was foolish and doomed to failure. He should just enjoy sleeping in, wake up around noon, find a cheap gift and head over to Ino's around four, when things should be picking up.  
  
"Girls are such a pain..." He moaned to no one in particular.  
  
"This is true," said his father from the doorway, "But they're worth it... Most of the time that is."  
  
Shikamaru frowned, "Teh, you have no idea."  
  
"I think I know more than you think, boy." Shikato squinted and peered out the window. "Awful nice day today, you should probably get moving soon, or it's going to pass you by. Then it's only your fault for missing it."  
  
"I know, I'm on my way..." Shikamaru packed his things together, making sure to grab his wallet off his dresser. "I'll be back late, Dad."  
  
"Enjoy your youth!" His father was grinning foolishly, "Just don't make too much noise when you get back."  
  
Walking outside into the warm sun Shikamaru felt for the first time how tired he actually was. Had he really stayed up all night for a girl?  
  
"Girls really are a pain..." He again intoned.  
  
"That coming from a guy who doesn't have one..." a voice mocked from behind.  
  
Shikamaru nearly leapt out of his skin. He had to be overtired to have allowed Chouji to sneak up on him like that. Usually the only thing Chouji was able to sneak up on was a bag of chips.  
  
"What are you doing up so early?" Shikamaru asked.  
  
"I could ask the same..."  
  
"But you're at my house."  
  
"This is true," Chouji relented, "I admit it, I was bored, and figured you'd be up. What time were you planning on going over to Ino's?"  
  
"Not till later, I still have to get the gift." Shikamaru said. The two walked down to the main road and started the trek towards the village commons area. The weather was beautiful, a few light clouds drifted across the sky and a warm breeze brushed up against them as they walked.  
  
"It was a perfect day for a nap," Shikamaru thought to himself, "How troublesome..."  
  
"What are you getting her?" Chouji asked, his innocent tone bordering mocking.  
  
Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, "What are you getting at? I'm not giving her a gift."  
  
Chouji looked confused. Shikamaru sighed, "Look, I have a bit of a plan Chouji, I might need your help on this one. We've got to keep it from Ino though, she'd kill me if she found out."  
  
Chouji's eyes lit up, it was certainly turning out to be an interesting morning.  
  
****  
  
By the time the pair made it to town Shikamaru had laid out the basics of his plan, and what he expected to happen.  
  
"So, can you help me?"  
  
Chouji had lost his smile, the whole thing seemed wrong. But Shikamaru was his friend.  
  
"Yeah, what do you need me to do?"  
  
Shikamaru put his hand to his brow and looked carefully in a shop window; it was one of these, wasn't it? "I just need you to cover for me when I leave. And make sure that no one interrupts them once it starts." Shikamaru felt uneasy about leaving the last stage to chance, but he really didn't want to be there for the last parts. It would be far too troublesome to baby-sit like that. And it would be hard for him to watch.  
  
Chouji nodded, "I can do that. Hey, I'm going to go get some lunch, do you want to join me?"  
  
Shikamaru shook his head, "Nah, thanks but I have to find this thing and find a way to get it to Sasuke before the party starts. That'll be a job and a half in itself."  
  
Chouji smiled, "Alright then, I guess I'll see you later then?"  
  
Shikamaru was staring into another window, was it this one?  
  
"Shikamaru?"  
  
He started, "Huh? Sorry Chouji, I'm a little out of it. I'll see you later at Ino's."  
  
The two waved and Chouji walked off. He turned around and watched his friend from a distance, it was almost too cruel to see him like this.  
  
"Chouji? What're you doing here boy?"  
  
Chouji turned and smiled, "Dad! I was just about to go get some lunch. Want to treat me?"  
  
Chouji's Dad laughed heartily, "Sure, c'mon, I know a good place!"  
  
****  
  
"Hey Dad," Chouji asked between gulps of food. "I need some advice."  
  
His father looked up from his third plate. "Well, the barbeque is usually a good bet for thirds, but you may need something a little lighter before desert. Maybe some ramen, or miso?"  
  
"No, no!" Chouji laughed, although miso did sound pretty good for thirds, "It's about a girl. Sort of."  
  
Chouji's father put down his chopsticks and eyed him carefully, "Are you serious?! That's great! If there's one thing I know its women. And barbeque. But mostly women."  
  
Chouji frowned, "Well, it's kind of complicated. If you had a friend who was about to make a mistake about a girl, do you interfere or do you let them do what they want?"  
  
"Shikamaru has a girlfriend?!"  
  
"No, well, no not really. He's convinced she likes someone else, and he's trying to push them together rather than take a shot himself. The thing is, I think he has a good shot of getting her attention if he just tried."  
  
"Hmm..." Chouji's Dad took a moment, "I think you already know what to do Chouji, you just want me to agree with you. You should know your best friend better than anyone else, so you'll know what to do. You're a good friend Chouji, to look after Shikamaru like this."  
  
Chouji smiled, and thought to himself. His Dad was right, he did know what to do.  
  
"Thanks Dad!"  
  
"Anytime!!"  
  
The two boisterously returned to their third and fourth helpings.  
  
****  
  
Shikamaru looked carefully at the pendant, he was almost it was the right one. He wondered if she would remember it after all this time, it had to have been four or five years ago.  
  
Ino and Shikamaru were waiting for their parents outside of the restaurant. They it was still early in the evening so most of the shops were still open, the window displays lit up brightly with Christmas lights.  
  
"What's taking them so long...?" Shikamaru complained. It was cold out, they were going to catch colds at this rate.  
  
"Wow!! Look at this one!!" Ino was gazing into a jewelry shops window. Shikamaru plodded over to see what she was going on about. It was a relatively simple pendant, a silver chain with a small but beautiful stone. It was a deep blue, about the same hue as her eyes, and she was absolutely drooling over it.  
  
"Teh, something like that probably costs a fortune Ino. C'mon lets go back inside, before we get sick or something." Shikamaru shivered again, he hated the cold.  
  
Ino turned and stuck her tongue out at him. "Hmph, you have no taste that's all. Someday I'll have a rich boyfriend and he'll get me things like this all the time! That's the kind of stuff a boy should get a girl he likes!"  
  
Shikamaru checked his wallet, it'd taken a while to save up this much, it was going to be a shame that he wouldn't get to see her face when she saw it... Maybe it would be better if she didn't remember.  
  
****  
  
Ino was quite excited, the first guests were arriving and it was the perfect day for a barbeque outdoors. She had hoped that they hadn't wasted their luck with weather with Shikamaru the other day. She was glad that things had turned out well, and she was especially proud to have caught the great Shikamaru off guard. She'd have to lord that over him later, she was sure he probably spent the night wondering how Ino had pulled off such a brilliant plan.  
  
"Happy birthday Ino!" Chouji exclaimed from the doorway. He had a brightly colored package with him; Ino just hoped it wasn't his favorite brand of chips again. That had been a... interesting gift.  
  
"Thanks Chouji!" She gave him a little hug and relieved him of his gift. She made sure to shake it a little before placing it with the others. It didn't rustle like chips, maybe he'd gotten her an actual gift this year? "Where's Shikamaru?"  
  
Chouji's smile drooped a bit, "He'll be a little late I think. But he'll be here!"  
  
Ino frowned, "That lazy jerk better not miss my birthday! After all the trouble I went through to have his yesterday!!" She cursed the weather silently, it would be just like him to go off and take a nap somewhere on such a nice day like today.  
  
"Ino, can you come here a moment?" Ino's mom called from inside the house.  
  
"Sure Mom! I'll be back in a few Chouji!"  
  
****  
  
Chouji smiled and walked back out the front door. He had made it in time, Shikamaru wasn't here yet. Chouji ran back down the road towards town and waited for a few minutes. A couple streets down he saw Shikamaru walking, present in hand.  
  
"Perfect." Chouji thought to himself, "I'll only get one shot at this, it better work."  
  
He ducked into an alleyway and took out a bag of chips.  
  
****  
  
Shikamaru sighed, he hadn't seen Sasuke anywhere in town. Was he even going to be there? It'd be just like him to not come, Shikamaru thought to himself, he doesn't care about her feelings at all.  
  
Just then Sasuke walked up alongside him, en route to Ino's. Shikamaru started for a second, but it made sense that Sasuke could creep up on him like that. It was still disappointing though, he'd have to talk to Asuma about working on his tracking and awareness later.  
  
"Hey, Sasuke."  
  
Sasuke looked over at Shikamaru and nodded slightly.  
  
"Are you going to Ino's?"  
  
Another nod.  
  
Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, Sasuke never really was one for small talk... "Girls are such a pain aren't they? Spent all day trying to find a gift. What'd you get her?"  
  
Sasuke glanced over at Shikamaru and dug one of his hands into his pocket producing a small gift. Shikamaru eyed it carefully and made a couple quick signs. With a barely audible poof he changed the wrapping of his present to the same design as Sasuke's.  
  
Now for the hard part, he thought to himself.  
  
"Hey, that's a great looking gift! Did you wrap it yourself?" Shikamaru felt like an ass. "Can I see it for a second?"  
  
Sasuke stopped in his tracks and eyed Shikamaru for a second. He handed the gift over and shook his head. Shikamaru felt a bead of sweat drop down his brow.  
  
"Wow, this is great work, hahah!" Sasuke turned around visibly disgusted, and kept walking. Shikamaru swapped the presents and handed his back over to Sasuke. Sasuke took it back without looking and stuck it back in his pocket. Shikamaru nearly fainted as he placed Sasuke's gift into his own pocket. He could hardly believe that he had managed to pull it off.  
  
Girls were such a pain...  
  
Shikamaru dropped back a few steps, and let Sasuke round the corner first. He really didn't want to see the Ino reaction to Sasuke's arrival. He turned around and walked back towards the town. This day had been hard enough as is.  
  
He stopped over at a nearby playground and sat down under a tree. A breeze picked up, making him feel drowsy. He looked at the time on a nearby clock, it was still a little early. He could afford a small nap for all his hard work today. His eyelids feeling heavy, he took Sasuke's gift out of his pocket.  
  
"I wonder what you got her..."  
  
Within seconds Shikamaru was fast asleep.  
  
****  
  
Ino answered the door and looked confused. "Didn't you already come in Chouji?"  
  
Chouji grinned broadly, "Yeah, I, um, forgot something!"  
  
Ino shook her head, "You're hopeless Chouji..."  
  
That just made him grin wider.  
  
****  
  
The party went off without a hitch, and people began to head out a little after the sun set. It was, after all, a school night of sorts. Everyone was expecting a hard time on Monday as well, what with the Chuunin exams coming up soon.  
  
Ino sat down with a piece of cake and gave a small sigh.  
  
"Where is that jerk..."  
  
Chouji walked over, "Is it okay if I join you?"  
  
"Hey Chouji, sure."  
  
"You seem a little upset, something wrong?"  
  
Ino shook her head. "No, its okay. Just was expecting a few more people."  
  
Chouji nodded, Sakura and Sasuke hadn't come, and neither had Shikamaru. Chouji knew that Ino and Sakura had been fighting a lot lately, and were in a bad situation because of Sasuke. He wondered what it would be like to have Shikamaru suddenly break up their friendship because of a girl. It certainly couldn't be a good feeling. Shikamaru's absence had surprised him though. It wasn't like him to not see things through, though in this case it had worked out pretty well that he hadn't. Chouji felt badly for Ino though, she seemed genuinely upset.  
  
"Why didn't he come Chouji?" Ino looked like she had tears in her eyes.  
  
"Sasuke is Sasuke," Chouji started, "He's never been very polite or –"  
  
"No, I mean Shikamaru!" Ino shook her head, "I was there for him yesterday. How could he have forgotten...?"  
  
Chouji smiled, "He didn't forget. This is for you. I think he wanted to give this to you himself but he was too embarrassed."  
  
Chouji handed over the small package. Ino wiped a few tears away and opened it.  
  
"Is this..." Ino took the pendant out of the box, amazed. It was beautiful, just like she remembered. How could that idiot have...?  
  
"Where is he Chouji?" Ino had a scary look in her eyes, "And don't lie to me, or you won't live to regret it."  
  
Chouji nearly wet himself.  
  
Within seconds Ino was running out the front door and down the street. It was a long run to his house, but she was determined. Shikamaru had a lot to explain...  
  
****  
  
"Hi Ino, Happy Birthday!" Shikato was a little surprised to see Ino here, especially as it was starting to get dark out. "What can I do for you?"  
  
Ino was out of breath, having run several miles to get here. "Where's... Shikamaru..?"  
  
Shikato was confused, "I thought he was at the party? He's not here..."  
  
Ino's head drooped, "Sorry to bother you..." She turned to walk away.  
  
"Is everything alright Ino?" Shikato was a little worried.  
  
"If you see him, tell him I stopped by..."  
  
Ino began the long walk back home. How could he have remembered something so small, from so long ago... What was he thinking spending so much? A few blocks away from her house something caught her eye. There, passed out against a tree, was a sleeping figure. She could hear it snoring from here.  
  
"Are you serious...?" Ino thought to herself.  
  
She walked up to the figure, and sure enough it was her missing teammate. He was fast asleep against the tree, a bag of chips in his hand. She took the bag in her hand, it looked like the brand Chouji was always eating. That lazy bastard HAD fallen asleep! Ino could feel her anger rising, but it was immediately displaced by a smile.  
  
"Sorry... Ino..." Shikamaru was murmuring in his sleep.  
  
Ino shook her head, "I guess the dream version of me is giving you a hard enough time."  
  
She squatted down across from him, watching him sleep for a minute.  
  
"I wanted to thank you for the gift, Chouji told me everything. You should have known better, you underestimated me! You underestimated him too, he's a better friend than you know."  
  
He looked a little like he did in her picture, his face a little older now, his features a little more handsome. She took out the pendant and put it on,  
  
"Why did you get this for me? I don't really deserve a gift like this, especially not from you. I guess I'm guilty of underestimating you a little bit. Maybe I shouldn't waste so much of my time on someone who doesn't even see me, but I guess that's just me being a bit selfish. I guess what I'm trying to say is that you should have a little more confidence in yourself. I'll make a deal with you... If you ask me, I won't say no... You've got a ways to go, but you're already a better guy then I deserve. I guess I'll try a little harder too."  
  
Shikamaru murmured something incoherent and slumped to the side a bit.  
  
Ino giggled a little, and then took on a serious face, "Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to go any easier on you. Now that I've seen what you can do when you're motivated I'm going to expect nothing less. If you think I'll let you get by as a lazy bum for the rest of your life then you're sadly mistaken. You're quite a troublesome teammate, aren't you?"  
  
Shikamaru stirred a little in his sleep. Ino leaned in and gave him a small kiss on his forehead. She stood up and walked back to her house, smiling the whole way.  
  
****  
  
Chouji could still hear her voice,  
  
"You will tell him nothing, other than that you did what he asked. Got it? If you tell him I know..." There was murder in her eyes.  
  
Ino really was the scariest person he knew.  
  
"Welcome home!" Chouji's dad called from the dining room. "You're just in time for dinner!"  
  
Chouji smiled and sat down at the table with his family.  
  
"Oh, how did that thing turn out?" his Dad asked between mouthfuls.  
  
"I think it'll turn out okay." Chouji said with a grin.  
  
"If she doesn't kill him..." He thought to himself.  
  
****  
  
Shikamaru woke up in his bed, confused.  
  
"Such a troublesome son, forcing his poor father to pick him up so late in the night." Shikato complained from the doorway. "And without a word of thanks in exchange..."  
  
Shikamaru sighed and fell back into his pillow. He missed everything... He'd have to ask Chouji if it all worked out okay in the end.  
  
"You'd better get some sleep. Asuma wants you to come by early tomorrow for some special training. Aren't the Chuunin exams coming up soon? Were you thinking of taking it?"  
  
Shikamaru growled, "Chuunin exam? Being a genin is troublesome enough..."  
  
****  
  
Ino had taken all of the pictures off her mirror and was rearranging them. She took the one of Sakura and her down; it was too painful to look at right now. Her Sasuke was once again proudly placed at the top in easily the most visible position, and right next to him was her Shikamaru.  
  
End  
  
Authors Note: Phew, wow that one took a long time! It's a little longer than the previous installments, so I hope it was worth the wait! It has been a labor of love though. Getting the whole thing to come together required a lot more careful thought than I had initially planned. I wanted to maintain realism and continuity, so I hope that comes across with the end result. In closing, to everyone who has enjoyed this story I'd just like to say thank you for all your kind comments and thank you for reading!! And if you were wondering, no the story doesn't end here, this is just the end of the first part. There will be a part two sometime in the near future! Look for it to pick up around where the manga is now in terms of storyline. Thanks again for reading! 


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